


mph

by manicmidnight



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Driving, Driving Lessons, Fluff, Liam is a Little Shit, M/M, Theo is so done, car sickness, pls and thenk, theo just wants a break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 05:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13873905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manicmidnight/pseuds/manicmidnight
Summary: Liam wants to learn to drive. Theo's not very keen on the idea.





	mph

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea provided by an anon on Tumblr! and I haven't written for ages because college sucks, but hopefully it's not too bad.
> 
> sorry in advance. enjoy!

“Are you kidding me?” Theo crosses his arms, glaring at Liam. “ _No_.”

“Aw, come on!” Liam has the audacity to _blink_ at him, like Theo cares (which he most definitely does _not_ , thanks). “It’s not like I don’t know how, it’s just—”

“You don’t know how?” Theo cuts in sharply, not wanting to hear the rest of Liam’s pathetic sentence. Seriously, he’s doing him a major favor by shutting him up; the garbage that spews from his lips is honestly pitiful to listen to. And Theo would know; he’s the one doing the majority of said ‘listening’.

 

(he’ll never admit that he enjoys those babbles though _, over his_ _dead body_ )

 

Liam frowns at him, and Theo holds on tight to whatever little self-preservation he has left. The beta’s got to be aware of the effect that even the most minute of facial expressions has on him, because there’s no way his face could ever go through so many _naturally_.

“Theooo!” He whines, and _oh boy, here we go again_ , “I know how to drive!”

“Then why ask me at all?” Theo knows he’s winning and, judging by the frown on Liam’s face, the younger boy knows it too.

“Because I don’t know how to drive _manual_!” Liam emphasizes, like it means something to Theo. It doesn’t.

“So?”

“So,” Liam stresses, again; really, the kid should go into public speaking or something: his ability to bullshit and get away with it is oddly on point. “You can teach me!”

“I don’t know if I made this clear, already,” Theo says patiently, wishing he were a believer so he could ask the heavens above to smite Liam already, “But I said _no_. N-O. _NO_. Besides, my truck’s not manual, so.”

He shrugs here, assuming he’s won. To his knowledge, there’s no way Theo can help him learn how to use the gear shift if it doesn’t exist.

Liam’s eyes narrow, and Theo immediately takes the thought back.

“No.” He agrees, before a slow smile spreads on his face that has Theo’s heart stuttering. “But Roscoe _is_.”

Theo chokes on nothing, making Liam eye him. No, he doesn’t get to do that when he’s suggested something as ludicrous as—

“Stealing Stiles’ Jeep?!” Theo would punch him, except they’re standing in front of a supermarket, and there are passerbys glaring at them and _oops, that sounds a little malicious_. “Are you fucking out of your _mind_?! I’m already on thin ice as it is—”

“Shh, shut up!” Liam hisses and, without warning, opens the door of the truck and slips inside. Theo just stands there, unable to believe he’s just been _hushed_ by a child dressed in wolf’s clothing. Liam’s rude, and Theo can’t believe he’s never noticed just how much.

“Still,” Theo says after a moment of half-stunned, half-contemplative silence, “I didn’t expect that from you, baby wolf. Makes me wonder what else you’re hiding.”

Liam’s eyes widen, cheeks flushing for some obscure reason that Theo can’t even make fun of him for; he can’t, because the sight of it is nearly enough to send Theo’s heart stuttering and he can’t possibly have that. It’ll destroy what little of his reputation he’s got left, and Theo can’t bear to part with it.

“So you’re in?” Liam beams hopefully at him, but Theo doesn’t look. If he looks, he’ll say yes and— “ _Theo!_ ”

“No.” Theo says resolutely, though his pulse jerks when fingers wrap around his wrists. “I said _no_ —”

Liam’s eyes are a pretty blue as they stare intently into Theo’s contrasting green ones. His mouth quirks up in a hopeful half-smile, and his hands are warm.

“Please?” His lips curve up fully.

“Okay.” Theo says listlessly, still lost in those captivating shades of blue, and he barely has time to mull over what he’s just said when Liam whoops, punching his shoulder in his excitement.

 

And, it’s at that moment that Theo _knows_ …

He’s fucked.

  

* * *

 

 

“I’m sorry!” Liam apologizes for nearly the 73rd time as they slowly make their way up the McCall’s driveway. Theo’s not really counting, but it _feels_ about right anyway. “I’m _so sorry_ —”

“Shut up.” Theo hisses, cursing himself for being so weak—both physically and mentally—against the stupid little Beta with the smile of a fucking angel and _no, he’s sidetracking_. “Scott’s gonna hear us if we get any louder, I swear—”

“Not to god, though, ‘coz you’re atheist, right?” Theo can practically _hear_ the infuriatingly smug smile in Liam’s voice. And people call _him_ the infallible one; no, there’s _this_ kid who can probably swindle you of everything you’ve got and hightail it with you being none the wiser. In a way, he’s already done that hasn’t he? Theo doesn’t know when he started doing everything Liam’s asked, but here he is anyway.

Theo doesn’t launch into an explosive tirade like he wants to, instead turning to Liam and giving him a pointed glare that thankfully gets the message across.

 _Shut. The. Fuck. Up._ It says clearly, and Liam, surprisingly, listens. Hallelujah.

Theo doesn’t know why Liam doesn’t want to just go in and ask; Theo might’ve done a lot of shit in the past, but Scott’s surprisingly okay with him. A little distant, but he’s never been hostile like _certain other people_ who Theo doesn’t want to name.

( _Malia. Stiles. Derek’s just cold. Corey is pretty much terrified of him. Mason’s somehow cool_.)

The point is, now they’re hanging outside Scott’s house like total creeps and waiting to actually get _in_ the car, because Liam wants everything to be ‘ _perfectly timed_ ’ apparently. Theo doesn’t buy into it, but when has he ever refused the Beta?

It scares him that he actually needs a good five minutes to remember the last instance.

“Okay, now!” Liam whispers, and Theo lets his body move on autopilot as he slides into the driver’s seat, wincing when Liam shuts the door too loudly.

“Idiot!” Theo forgets to stop the irritation from leaking into his tone, but doesn’t say anything else; the hurt look Liam gives him has him biting his tongue, much to his frustration. Why can’t he just say what he wants? Theo’s never had a problem using cruel, digging words before. Why is this any different?

Another quick glance has his heart thumping loudly against his ribcage and Theo thanks every Nemeton out there that he can always pass it off as the adrenaline if Liam ever asks.

He chooses not to deliberate on the actual heart of the matter any longer, because his heart will actually drop on him; instead he grasps wildly at the ignition and freezes.

“What’re you doing?!” Liam yells at him, and Theo would snap something back, tell him to shut up, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters, not anymore.

“Liam…” His voice is faint, but the beta doesn’t seem to notice.

“Hurry up and _drive_!” The blue-eyed boy insists, and Theo’s frustrated to the point of disbelief.

“ _Liam_!” He exclaims pointedly, glaring daggers at the brunette, whose eyebrows furrow. “It doesn’t matter.”

Liam follows his gaze out the windshield, and the car is flooded by chemosignals of terror.

“Theo, Liam.” Scott’s gaze is nothing short of amused as he smiles. “I think you guys forgot these.”

He jangles a pair of keys at them, and Theo wants to die now, please.

Liam gulps.

 

* * *

 

“You know I wouldn’t mind if you just _asked_ , right?” Scott says slowly, like a parent speaking to their unruly 6 year old, and Theo wants to chuck something at the unfairness of it all.

“ _I_ said the _exact same thing_.” He seethes, “But _your_ idiot beta decided it would be a great idea to ‘borrow’ your car.”

“Hey, you agreed!” Liam counters vehemently, cheeks colored a shade of pink that Theo might normally find adorable, except right now he’s mad so. No.

Scott grins disarmingly at Theo—the insanely soft, happy smile that makes Theo want to shrivel up and curl into a ball— and he just narrows his eyes in response.

“He’s got a point.” Scott points out helpfully, and Theo huffs out in frustration. It’s not like anyone’s going to back him up anyway, why bother wasting his breath and trying to get them to understand?

“Whatever, can we leave now?” He taps a finger impatiently against his forearm, “I didn’t sign up for your lecture, Mr. Alpha.”

Scott rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “Whatever you say, Theo.”

He smiles privately, and Theo doesn’t like the look of it; but, he says nothing, because the Alpha actually hands over the keys to him.

“Don’t hurt it.” He warns, “That’s Stiles’ baby.”

Theo smiles darkly and Liam sighs.

Scott really should know better than to give away information like that.

 

* * *

 

“Alright.” Theo’s driven them an acceptable distance from the center of the town, into a relatively free area. “You can switch with me.”

“Finally!” Liam crows, and Theo rolls his eyes. Idiot. “Hopefully, we won’t die.”

“We won’t.” Theo slams his door shut, watching apathetically as Liam does the same. “If we do, I’ll kill you.”

Liam squints at him, and Theo feels his body traitorously flush at the judgment clearly layering those blue eyes. Judging people is _his_ job. Liam’s job is just to look pretty and act like a complete idiot so that _Theo_ can judge _him_.

“Just drive.” Theo slouches in his seat. Goddamn it, these are uncomfortable as fuck. That’s probably why Stiles has an attitude as pleasant as rotten eggs.

“See, I’d do that, but I don’t actually know _how_.” Liam explains patiently, and did they do a personality swap while Theo wasn’t looking? Because this is _weird_. Theo doesn’t like it.

“Did we run into any witches or anything recently?” He inquires casually, making Liam’s eyebrows pinch together like baby caterpillars.

“No?” The beta answers hesitantly, and Theo hums in understanding. He must just be broken, then. Oh well. Can’t say he hasn’t expected it.

“Alright, push down on the pedal.” He instructs instead of further propagating that conversation, watching the muscles of Liam’s legs flex, “Now, you’ve got to _carefully_ release the pedal while moving the gear to first, _slowl_ —”

The jeep jerks tragically as the engine dies, and Theo glares at Liam.

“I said _carefully_!” It takes everything in him not to screech.

“I know, I’m sorry!” Liam actually screeches back, and you can only say otherwise over Theo’s dead body, “I’ll try again!”

“It better not happen again.” Theo threatens and Liam nods eagerly.

It happens again. And again. And _again_.

Theo shuts his eyes tightly as Roscoe lurches again, pressing his lips tightly shut as his stomach jerks violently with it. Stiles’ Jeep is _really_ shitty and Liam’s driving is even _worse_ , if possible.

“Liam, stop.” He says, mouth dry as sandpaper, hand creeping up to his mouth, as though keeping the bile at bay. “ _Liam_ —”

Liam isn’t listening, furiously throttling the gear as he tries to get the car to actually budge forward for the first time in half an hour. And while his determination is great and all, Theo needs to catch his breath and hopefully not throw up all over the Jeep.

“I’ve almost got this!” He says, and Theo can’t even stop him, and just gags helplessly as the car lurches again.

“Liam, I’m—” He struggles to swallow, as Liam _finally_ takes notice of him, “I’m gonna—”

He heaves straight into Liam’s lap.

  

* * *

 

 

“I don’t ever want to drive with you again.” Liam says, looking faintly ill. “That was _disgusting_.”

“I tried telling you.” Theo winces, angry with himself for doing that. It’s obviously because he lost his composure, not because he threw up on Liam. Obviously.

“Still.” Liam chucks his pants into the laundromat, along with his other clothes. “Seriously, you’re supposed to be a Big Bad Chimera, I didn’t think you could get car sick.”

“Neither did I.” Theo murmurs absently, touching his lips absently with the pads of his fingers. Liam’s eyes track the movement, before he sighs, collapsing on the old beat up sofa beside him.

“Well, at least we had fun, right?” He tries, and Theo scoffs.

“Yeah, no.” He tells Liam, who juts out his bottom lip like a total idiot, but is unable to hold back the tiniest twitch of his lips.

Liam catches that, _of course he does_ , and he beams at Theo, makes Theo’s heart flutter strangely.

“Hey, don’t lie.” He pokes Theo’s shoulder, making the chimera swat his arm subconsciously. “You loved it.”

“Sure.”

Theo says nothing else, and Liam doesn’t push; they just sit together in the garage, on the deadbeat couch, in companionable silence.

**Author's Note:**

> constructive criticism honestly would fuel me!
> 
> come say hi to me on [tumblr](https://maniacalmidnight.tumblr.com/)!


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